“Thermodynamics,” I said.
“Yes. That.”
“There’s a slight possibility that the use of the anti-time radio could have triggered an impending total quantum collapse. My data has been inconclusive. It will probably correct itself.”
“And if it doesn’t, I assume the universe will explode,” she said.
“I’m keeping an eye on it.”
“I’m sure you are.” Zala laughed. “You could have told me at some point that you were behind this.”
“I told you I had an idea who the agent was. I just didn’t tell you it was most probably me.”
Zala glared. “Might have been nice to know.”
“Why? What would’ve been different? If you’d known, you might not have taken the situation as seriously as required. And if I’d been wrong, you would’ve just used it as an excuse to ridicule me.”
“You sacrificed my battleguard,” she said.
I raised a hand. “First, I warned you about bringing them along. Second, I protected them as best as I could, despite your insistence.”
She sighed. “Yes, you did. But you also allowed a monster to rampage in Atlantis. You nearly got us killed numerous times. You let them remove my brain.”
“Yes, and I’ve rectified that.”
She held up her hands. “Let’s not start that discussion again. One last question: How did you get me involved in this? How did Venusian intelligence discover this plot?”
“I have no idea. I suppose some mysteries are just best left unsolved.”
“Surprising to hear you say that.”
“I have more important things to worry about. I still have to build my anti-time transmitter and broadcast the message to the past. Or is that rebroadcast? No matter. After that, I’ll see about saving the Great Gynoecium. Then I’ll have to check on the rebuilding of Shambahla, Paris, Atlantis. There’s a lot of cleanup to be done. And the Terrans still are going to need me around. To keep things from falling apart.”
“Are you certain of that, Emperor?” asked Zala. “It seems to me that you’re a danger to this world. Without you, the Saturnites wouldn’t have invaded. And the Council was only a threat because of technology stolen from you. Your efforts on Terra’s behalf seem to revolve around cleaning up your own messes.”
“Only seventy-four percent of the time,” I replied. “I ran an analysis.”
“Statistically, it seems like a losing argument.”
“Would it be preferable to let the planet blow up?”
She laughed. “I can’t argue with that.”
I closed the machine’s panel. We exited the warehouse, and I locked the door behind us, leaving the Council of Egos to their blissful delusion. I envied them for just a moment.
We walked toward my saucer, parked in the street. “Can I give you a lift somewhere?”
“No, thank you. I’ve arranged my own transport to Venus,” she said.
“Regardless of the source of the danger, Zala, the Terrans are still in no position to defend themselves. If these are my messes to clean up, then you’ll admit that I’m the best Neptunon for the job.”
“And then there’s the fact that this is the last planet left in the system that doesn’t want to execute you.”
“That too.”
“But for how long?” she asked. “If you’re telling the truth and reversing the mind alterations you’ve done to them, then one day, won’t they wake up and realize that they only needed you because of what you did to them in the first place? I imagine they’ll be upset about that.”
“Most probably,” I agreed.
“What will you do then?”
“I haven’t given it much thought,” I said. “Perhaps by then the other civilizations of the system will have forgotten my crimes.”
She smirked.
“It’s conceivable,” I said.
A bolt from the sky blasted my saucer into so much scrap. Zala and I were just out of the range of the rain of falling debris. The shadow of a Venusian transport craft fell across us. It landed, kicking up dirt and wind, and only moments after setting down, three full battleguards, armed to the scales, disembarked and fanned out in a semicircle. They leveled omega-level proton cannons in my direction. A trio of powered war armors, each a heavy battalion in its own right, brought up the rear.
Zala half smiled. “Venus never forgets.”
Snarg curled around me protectively.
“The mission is over. Your life is no longer in danger. It’s time to answer for your crimes.” Zala drew her sword. “You must have seen this coming, Emperor.”
I gave Snarg the stand down command.
I grinned. “Yes, I must have.”
My exo began to beep.
“Self-destruct device?” Zala raised an eyebrow.
“Would I really be that unimaginative?” I replied.
The beeping grew louder, more insistent.
“You could be bluffing,” she said.
“I could be,” I agreed.
The beeping turned shrill. Snarg perked up, squeaking in time with the beat. Several of the less disciplined soldiers winced and covered their ears.
“Fall back,” said Zala.
A soldier protested, but she silenced him with a glance.
“I said, fall back.”
The soldiers saluted and marched into their craft.
Zala sheathed her weapon, gave Snarg’s antennae an affectionate stroke.
“One day, when you’ve run out of tricks and places to hide, you’ll answer for your crimes.” She put away her sword. “And I will be there on that day.”
“I’d be disappointed if you weren’t.”
“I’ll be seeing you, Emperor,” she said as the hatch closed.
The ship zipped away, disappearing in moments.
Snarg chirped longingly.
“I wouldn’t worry. She’ll be back.”
I pushed a button and a new saucer hovered to land beside the ruined one.
“How does dinner in Paris sound?”
My loyal ultrapede shrieked. She did love French food, and the nutrient paste always tasted all the sweeter in the City of Lights.
By A. Lee Martinez
Gil’s All Fright Diner
In the Company of Ogres
A Nameless Witch
The Automatic Detective
Too Many Curses
Monster
Divine Misfortune
Chasing the Moon
Emperor Mollusk Versus the Sinister Brain
Contents
Title Page
Welcome Page
Dedication
1
2
3
Conqueror
4
5
6
7
8
Exterminating Topeka
9
10
11
Wrecking Paris
12
13
14
Haunted Saturn
15
16
17
18
The End
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
By A. Lee Martinez
Copyright
Copyright © 2012 by A. Lee Martinez
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher is unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
Orbit
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First e-book edition: March 2012
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The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
ISBN 978-0-316-19178-4
Emperor Mollusk Versus The Sinister Brain Page 24
